Patrick ("Pat") Ralph Porter (born May 31, 1959 in Wadena, Minnesota) is a former American distance runner. With an unremarkable personal best of 4:29 in the mile while running for Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, Porter was not heavily recruited to run in college. He enrolled at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, and flourished under the training of coach Joe Vigil.[1]
After graduating from Adams State in 1982 with a degree in marketing, Porter became one of the most dominant U.S distance runners of the 1980s. Porter was a two time U.S. Olympian, running the 10000 meters at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. In 1983 he set the World Record for a road 10K at 27:31.8. In 1985 he won the silver medal at the World Cup of Athletics in Canberra, Australia, getting nipped at the tape by Ethiopia's Wodajo Bulti by six hundredths of a second.
Porter is best known for his cross country running accomplishments. He won a record eight consecutive USA Cross Country Championships from 1982 to 1989.[2] Porter also represented the United States at the World Cross Country Championships each of these years. His best finish at the World Championships was 4th in 1984, followed by 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th place finishes throughout his career.
In 1998 Porter played Finnish distance runner Lasse Virén in Without Limits, a biographical film about American distance legend Steve Prefontaine.[3] He is married to fellow US Olympic Team member high jumper Trish Porter (née King).
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the United States | |||||
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 15th | 10,000 m | 28:34.59 |